Flash-light apparatus.



..J. 'A. SMITH. FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS. unannourILnn inne. moo,

n* Patented Dec. 14. 1909.

1m amor; ,J %am'a Wfheses M v To all fit may conce-m:

JAY LEER SMITH, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLASH-LIGHT AP'EARATUS.

Be i known that I, Jar Ateniir Saii'in. a citA fen of the United States,residing at Chie v. o, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, hareini-ented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash-Light Apparatas.of which the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanyii'ie drawings, forming a part of this specifiminion. in whichcoi-responding numerals of reference in the different figures indicatelike parts. Y

lily invei'ition relates to that class of flashlight apparatus which isprovided with a receptacle in which to make the flash in order toprevent the dispersion of smoke and dust in "the surrounding atmosphere.Heretofore various makeshift expedients, such, for eX- ainple, asremoving and emptying the receptacle after each tiash, have beenresorted to for this purpose, but I am not aware thatl any device hasbeen made whereby a succession of lashes may be made within the re-.fceptacle while preventing the escape of smoke. A. further ditlicultyhas been found in providing satisfactory means for simultaneouslyoperating a camera shutter and "exploding a percussion cap to ignite aflashcl'iarge through the medium of a pneumatic bulb. Xot only does theforce thus exerted vary so as to render it unreliable, but that whichwould insure the movement of the shutter would be wholly insuflicientIfor the other purpose.

The object of my invention is to overcome. both of these ditliculties byproviding a flash-light. iiect-ptacleV which shall be so arranged and@instructed in conibination with 'a movable closure, a flash-pan andigniting api'nnatus, as to enable a succession of tla'lies to be. madewithin the receptacle a allowing the pan to he removed withia'nittingthe esci pe ofsniolte.

i'ther object is to provide means for j a uniform blow to cause theexploa fiilniinate or permission cap as a ran to connect with andsimultaneously actuaie a camera shutter and to control said blowexerting means,

llo thc-se ends my invention consists in the con'ibina tion of elementshereinafter more particularly described and definitely claimed. i ln thef li'awings, Figure i, is an elevation showing a rear' ard view of adash-light receptacle and its supporting frame, to the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application led February G. 19139.

t' the action of'a pneumatic bulb ari Patented Dec. 14, 1909f sei-iaino. 476,577.

former of which my improvement is applied, Fig. Q is an enlarged view ofthe closure at the rear of the receptacle as it would appear with theslide in its normal position, .l `ig. l is a plan view of the slidemechanism and a portion of the removable flash-pan arranged to indicatethe manner of detacliably connecting it with the permanent slide, thewall of the receptacle' being shown in section, Fig. -i is an enlargedelevation of the flash-pan, the permanent slide and a portion of the1eceptacle,-tlie slide being displaced by the Hash-pan, which latter isin position for use, Fig. 5 is a vvertical sectional View taken upon theline 'i3-5, Fig. 2, and Fig. G is a like view taken upon the line 6-6,Fig. -i.

referring to the drawings, l represents gene ally a telescoping standardor support of well known construction having an adjustable .arm 2jointedly secured to its upper end at 3, by means of the usualclan'iping nut. Suspended' from the arm 2, by means of rings l, orotherwise, is a flash-light receptacle preferably formed from inuslin orother similar fabric adapted to permit the passage of light, said fabricbeing held in the desired forni by means of any .suitable skeleton frameoi' other appliance for wholly or partially distending it. Thereceptacle is normally closed so as to retain therein the sinolie andother products of combustion resulting from the ignition of the flashlight material. y

Formed in the rear wall of the receptacle is an oblong opening (3, whichis covered b v a plate or frame 7, permanently attached to the fabric bymeans of rivets S. Said plate is preferably formed from sheet metal andhas an oblong opening therein adapted to be normally closed by means ofa sheet metal slide t), fitted to be moved longitudinally in groovesformed by means of two parallel flanges itl. attached to the plate 7.The

slide i) hasan outwardly bent liange il, upon,

engagement-therewith of acounterpart flange in the grooves 'formed byth'e/lianges ,1`0.

lhef part formi-ng the"`iiashpan is projected rearwardly, as shown at16, so as to'form a y. horizontal ledge 17 therein for'thepurpose ofvholding the. flash-powder, while the up, wardly and fdrwaiidly inclinedwall of the pan 'abojve the.' ledge, vserves tov deiect the flashforwardly at an angle away from the' rear wall of the receptacle,thereby protecting. the. latter iagainstI possible ignition. An

opening 18, Fig. 4, is formed 'n .the bottom 17 of th pan, above whichis projected an anvil 19, iigs. 4 and 6, thevbody of which is rigidlyattached to thepan.v A spring 20, has one end attached at 21 beneath thebottom 17, while near the free endl thereof is attached a hamr'ner 22adapted.,- when the .spring isreleased, to pass through the opening 18and strike against a prcussion cap 23 placed upon the bottom of the panover said opening beneath the anvil 19. The cap is made of thin paperarrangedto inelose a fulminate and is lintended to, be wholly orpartially covered by. th'e flash-light powder, which is 'preventedthereby from falling through 'the opening. A trigger 24, Figs. and 6,'is pivoted at 25 tov'a bracket 26, which Ais rigidly attached to'I theflash-pan. vSaid trigger is in the form of a bent lever, inthe shortvarm 'of which is formed a notch 2 6 adapted to engage the end of the.spring 20 and hold it under tension away from the anvil. The long arm ofthe'lever is adapted to rest by gravity upon 'the upper end of a 'metaltube 27,-rigidly attached to the bracket 26. Said tube is open at thetop and is vprovided with a loose plunger 2S, which rests upon asuitable ledge at the lower end, said plunger being made, as shown,cdnsiderably shorter than and of suilicient weight so that whenactuated, it may -acquire a considerable speed and momentum beforestriking the trigger. Thel tube 27 is connected by'means of a iexibletube 29 with a ,pneumatic bulb 80,'Fig. 1, which inturn is connected inthe usual way by Vmeansof a like tube 31 with the auto-I matic shutterofa camera 32. D

Having thus described my `1nvent1on, 1

ill now explain its operation: The percus sioncap being placed upon thebot-torn 17 of the pan over light-powder thereunder,- the pan frame isretained in a vertical position while the hook portion 13, is connectedwith the corresponding part 12 of the slide 9 in vthe manner indicatedin Fig. 3. I The plate 14 of the flashpan is than pushed interthe g.ooves 1n which the tube in which it is placed the opening 18 with theflashy i notch 26a.

Iin 'the grooves.

the sneed is:

:li re, as'showni covering the oper.A posite said open pan being some,9, a portion of t,

the spring 20 is Fig. 4, until it trigger sutlicien yf spring to pass beThe bu. thereby causing the A jected upwardly so as tf. ,1 blow upon thearm 24 ei t e trigger, ,i by releasing-the'spring and causing the'hamlmer to` strike the cap against the anvil with sufficient forcetinsurean explosion and ignite the {iash-pow'der in the pan.. The samecompression vof the bulbcauses the camera shutter vto be simultaneouslyactuated to expose the plate. Then the expo-v "sure is made the operatorgrasps the handle 34 upon t-he flash-pan and 'moves itto the yrightuntil itis withdrawn from'the grooves. The result'of this action is toreturn -theslide 9 to its normal position over the opening when the hookupon the end of the plate 14 may.beidisconnectedv and the operationrepeated yw1thout--permitting an escape of/ smoke. .Y

l It is obvious that only a -slight'- force is necessary-to actuate thetrigger and release the spring- 20,/ and as this is alccbmplished bymeans of aquir blow from the plunger, its release is assured. `Moreover,the hammer stroke from the spring being uniform,

the explosionv of the cap .is-re dered certain.

. Having thus deseribed m invcntion, I

claim 1 1. A flash-light apparatusin which is combined a normallyclosed' receptacle for containing a hash-lamp,` saidreceptacle havingan.operiinginxone of its walls, a'slide for .closing said opening aslidab'le Hash-pan arranged to move in the pathway of said slide todisplace 'the same without uncovering saidopening, said flash-pan beingprovided with a rearwardly projecting horizontal ledge for the receptionof flash-light material with a forwardly inclined wall extendingupwardlygtherefrom for deflectingthe iiash away from the rear wall ofthe receptacle. and means for igniting flash-light material uponsaid-ledge when saidiiash-pan is in position to cover the opening insaid receptacle.

2. A flash-light apparatus, in which is combined a normally closedreceptacle for containing ariiash-lamp, said receptacle having' byvmoving in the pathway thereof whileconnected therewith withoutuncoveringsaid opening, and means connected with said pan from without for lgmtmgflashlight material t-herein.

3. A flash-light a paratus, in which is combined a normally edreceptacle for containing a flashlamp"said receptacle having an openingin one of itswalls, a slide for closing said opening, a flash-panarranged to move in the pathway of said slide to dis'- place it withoutuncovering said' opening, an anvil within said pan opposite to anopenino', a spring-controlled hammer outside of said pan in position tostrike said anvil through said opening, a trigger for holding thehammer-controlling spring flexed, a pneumatic bulb, and meansactuatedthereby for releasing said trigger.

4f. In a flash-light apparatus, the combination with a flash-pan havingan anvil upon one of its walls opposite to an opening, of a hammerlupon-the oppositeside of said wall in 4position to strike said anvilthrough said opening, a spring for actuating said hammer` a trigger forholding the spring flexed, said trigger having an arm extending acrossthe open upper end of a stationary vertical tube, a disconnected plungerloosely fitted therein, said plunger-being of lesser length than that ofthe tubeto enable it to acquire momentum and velocity before .strikingthe trigger, and a pneumatic bulb in connection withsaid tube, whereby aquick forceful blow as distinguished from a yielding pneumatic pressure,may be delivered against said trigger toinsure its release.

5. In a flash-light apparatus, the combination with a flash-pan having ahorizontal. ledge for the reception of flash-light material forignition, said flash-pan having'a forwardly inclined wall extendingupwardly from the rear .of said ledge to deflect the flash away fromAthe rear wall of the receptacle, an anvil above said ledge opposite toan opening therein, a spring actuated hammer beneath said led e inposition to strike said anvil, a trigger or releasing said hammer, atube having anv open end in operative proximity to said trigger, apneumatic bulb in connection with said-"tube, and a loose plunger withinand of shorter length than the tube, whereby the compression of the bulbmay cause the plunger to be shot against the trigger with sufiicientforce and velocity to insure its release.

G fln a4 flashlight apparatus, the combination with a flash-pan havingan anvil upon one of its walls opposite to an opening therein, of ahammer upon the opposite side of said wall in position to strike saidanvil through `said opening, a spring for actuating'said hammer. agravity trigger' consisting of a pivoted bent lever ha vingone armarranged to rest upon an open ended tube while the other is notched toengage said spring when flexed, an open ended tube having a looseplunger therein. a camera shutter, an air conduit for connecting saidshutter with said open ended tube, and a pneumatic bulb interposed inthe air conduit.

In' testimony whereof', I have signed this specification in thepreseneeof' two ibs-cribing witnesses, this fourth da)v of Felauarv JAYl ALBERTSM I'l` l l.

Yitnesses D. H. FLETCHER, J'. B. LANDON.

